blood. He says, 'All power is given unto me in heaven, and on earth.' How mercifully that power is used, let our lips confess, while our souls

bless the Lord."

"If we always thought of this, sister," said Thomas, "every thing that we read in the Bible would make us love Jesus Christ more and more." It ought to do so," replied his Mamma; "but our ungrateful hearts are so ready to forget His benefits, and so little inclined for His service, that I fear you do not always pray for the help of the Holy Spirit, although He is given to take of the things of Christ, and show them unto us, to bring all things to our remembrance, and to lead us into all truth. Our Lord says, Search the Scriptures,' they are It is He' of whom the prophets did write.' prophets witness."

me.'

they which testify of Moses in the law, and 'To Him give all the

"Our blessed Lord is sometimes spoken of in the Old Testament under the name of an angel. Jacob thus prays, 'God, before whom thy fathers, Abraham and Isaac, did walk, the God which led me all my life long unto this day; the angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the

lads.' You take great pleasure in hearing the delightful history of Israel's deliverance out of Egypt, and how the Lord led them through the wilderness to the land of Canaan. Do you remember that an angel went before them?" "Yes, Mamma, and they were told not to provoke Him."

True my dears: Jehovah said, 'My name is in Him; and this angel had power to forgive sins, or not forgive them. Who can forgive sins but God alone?'"

"The Jews said that, Mamma.”

"Yes, Ellen; and the Jews were right. They heard Jesus Christ declare to the sick man that his sins were forgiven; and they saw a miracle performed to prove that he had 'power upon earth to forgive sins.' This should have convinced them that he was indeed 'God manifest in the flesh,' but their hard and unbelieving hearts would not allow it. Seeing they did not perceive, and hearing they could not understand. Shall we be like those unhappy Jews, shutting our eyes and our ears against the blessed truths that testify of Jesus?"

"Oh no, Mamma, I hope not," said Thomas very earnestly, and Ellen said the same.

"Then my children, we must diligently seek in the Bible for what will so strengthen our faith, and assure our hearts; always praying that we be not forgetful hearers but doers of the word. Satan, who opposed the work of our redemption, and even dared to meet and to tempt the Son of God, is always watching to draw off our thoughts from Him, whom to know is eternal life. We may take up the Bible, to be interested by its histories, and delighted by the beautiful language in which they are written, yet seek no real profit from it. We may believe all that is told us of the creation, and even the whole of our Saviour's life, death and resurrection, without being the better or the happier. It is when we look into the Bible as if it was a letter written to us, and every word of it meant for our instruction, that -it becomes a light to our feet, showing us the path to heaven. We must feel ourselves to be poor ruined creatures, and come only Saviour Jesus Christ, in every part of the book. They who seek him early shall find him." The children were very thankful to their

seeking our

Mamma for telling them all this; and they listened very attentively, while she read to them the history of Abraham going to sacrifice his son Isaac, in the 22nd chapter of Genesis. She also explained to them how beautifully the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus was foreshown by it. ," said Ellen,

"But Isaac was not slain at last,

"and our Lord was."

"Isaac was spared," said her Mamma, "through the offering of another in his stead. As the death of the ram saved the life of Isaac's body, so did the precious blood of Christ deliver Isaac's soul from the bitter pains of eternal death. 'God spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all; and the blessed Jesus was contented to be delivered up, and to die upon the cross, for the sinful children of men. never cease to give honour unto Him who is adored by the angels of heaven, joining with the spirits of just men made perfect; and altogether glorifying Him, and saying, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.""

When with humble joy I look
In thy sweet and holy book,

Let us

Blessed Jesus, make me see

How it testifies to thee!

Thou, the woman's promised seed,
Cam'st to suffer and to bleed;

But, in rising from the dead,

Thou hast bruised the serpent's head.

All along the sacred lines,
Lord, thy gentle glory shines
Abraham thy day could see—
May his faith be found in me!

Let me walk in holy fear,
Knowing thou art ever near,
Never by my heart forgot,
Though my eyes behold thee not.

By the Spirit and thy word,
Still vouchsafe to guide me, Lord:
Teach me now to love thy ways,
And in heaven I'll sing thy praise.